I Found my Shopping Vouchers!
Hi Lovelies,
Last week I shared with a few of you that I had misplaced some vouchers I was given as a Christmas present last year. Not only was I upset that I could no longer spend them, but I was absolutely furious and frustrated with myself for being so careless and forgetful!
My boyfriend (cool as a cucumber as always) simply said, “they’ll turn up” - which of course added fuel to the fire!
In my frenzy of emotions over the situation, I also messaged my mum and sister, who both said a similar thing. My Mum said, “leave it for tonight darling, because you’re too frustrated and upset to think clearly about where you might have left them”. And my sister said, “I promise you, a memory of where you left them will all of a sudden randomly come to you!”
I didn’t believe any of them. They were gone; I can barely remember what I did 10 minutes ago, let alone 3 months ago, so I will never find them!
But, of course, they were all right!
Later that night, once I had calmed down a bit, I was nursing Jacob in bed and all of a sudden it came to me - a memory of putting them in a bag, and shutting that bag in the cupboard!! Completely out of nowhere.
Being the inquisitive type, this got me thinking a lot about the brain and how memory works. Especially as I do tend to be somewhat “scatty”, and have experienced the reality of “baby brain” since falling pregnant and having my boy (even almost 12 months on, I still sometimes forget my own name!).
Sorry to disappoint, but of course I am not a neuroscientist by any stretch of the imagination, and the vast amount of research there is in to how our brains work means that I would not even be able to scratch the surface on the topic.
But what I do have some knowledge on is Yoga, so I can help us to understand memory from this perspective.
We all know that our yoga practice is as much about exercising the mind as it is the body. When we look at Patanjali's 8 limbs of yoga, we learn that asana (postures) are actually the third limb, and the purpose of this physical practice is to ensure that the body is comfortable enough to sit in meditation for extended periods of time. The fourth limb is Pranayama (breathing exercises) and these, along with our asana practice, allow our energy channels to open up so that our prana (life force) can flow freely. When our prana is flowing, we are more relaxed and calm, and able to experience more clarity of mind.
Ultimately, what we are trying to achieve through our yoga practice is “yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ” - the calming of and control over the fluctuations in the mind.
Personally, I’ve always thought of the brain and mind as one and the same thing. So when we practice yoga, and in particular mindfulness and/or meditation, we are actually training the brain. The mind/brain is just the same as any muscle in the body - the more we train it, the easier it becomes to calm the thoughts we have, and find some inner peace and quiet.
So how does all of this help with memory?
Well, as usual, my Mum hit the nail on the head when she said “you’re too frustrated and upset to remember [where you put the vouchers]...” Suffering impedes memory. Plain and simple. When we are tired, stressed, overwhelmed, and in a state of “lizard brain”, we are distracted from our consciousness.
When we are distressed, our nervous system is in a state of “fight or flight” and this activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing spikes in adrenaline and cortisol in our bodies. We simply cannot think clearly when we are in this state.
(N.B. The irony here is that this mechanism comes from prehistoric times, used to help keep us from being eaten by predators. But many of us now live in such a state of sympathetic nervous system arousal that what was originally designed to keep us safe is now harming us!)
Our yoga practice helps to counteract this chronic stress and sympathetic nervous system overdrive, by flipping the switch on to our parasympathetic nervous system - the “rest and digest” counterpart. This is activated by bringing our awareness to the present moment, and one of the best ways to do this is to shift our awareness to the breath.
So, what I found particularly interesting was that the memory of where I had put my vouchers came to me post yoga practice, and whilst I was nursing Jacob.
It seems very coincidental that this occurred when I was feeling a lot calmer, and at a time where the hormone oxytocin was being released in my body - which actually cancels out adrenaline and cortisol!!
Modern research has shown many physical and mental benefits of yoga, which all help to improve our neuro pathways and thus our memory. These include:
* Positive effects on the structure and/or function of the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and brain networks including the default mode network (DMN).
* Boosting the brain’s cognitive abilities linked to goal-directed behavior and the ability to control knee-jerk emotional responses, habitual thinking patterns, and actions (see email from two weeks ago and samskaras!)
* Positive impact on stress response and cognitive abilities.
* Reducing the stress hormone cortisol at the level of the hypothalamus.
* Demonstrating a strong connection between movement and improved cognition.
Amazing huh?!
So here are some ways we can improve our memory:
- Make lists/write everything down!
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet (omega-3, antioxidants such as blueberries, dark chocolate and turmeric, vitamin K in broccoli, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper found in pumpkin seeds, vitamin E found in nuts, vitamin C, Vitamins B6 & B12)
- Get regular exercise, particularly outside
- Get some decent sleep (I hear you all chuckling slightly at this one!)
Here are some asanas that can help to improve memory:
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Down Dog)
Prasarita Padottanasana I (Wide-angled forward fold)
Ardha Chandrasana (Half moon)
Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the fishes twist)
Setu Bandha Sarvengasana (Bridge)
Vrksasana (Tree)
Paschimottanasana (seated forward fold)
Salamba Sarvangasana/Viparita Karani (Shoulder stand/legs up wall)
Here are some Pranayama exercises to help improve memory:
Bhramari (Humming bee breath)
Nadi Shodana (Alternate nostril breathing)
Ujjayi (victorious breath)
Namaste Yogis!
Love always,
Aimee
xxx
P.S. You can also register for any of my classes here:
http://www.aimeehillmassageyoga.co.uk/yoga
* Monday 10-11am Gentle Yoga
* Tuesday 7-8pm Energy Flow
* Thursday 10:15-11/11:15am Mummy & Baby Yoga
* Thursday 6:30-7:30pm Pregnancy Yoga
* Thursday 8-9pm Bedtime Yoga with Nidra
xx
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